The use of maps has become commonplace in many different facets of life. In addition to maps that are designed for general navigation purposes, information can be included on a map to meet specific objectives. For instance, a map to be used by tourists may identify the locations of hotels, restaurants and local attractions. A shopping map might typically include stores and other retail establishments in an area of interest. In contrast, a map intended for use by outdoor enthusiasts may include hiking and biking trails, campsites, parks and terrain information.
As can be appreciated, there is potentially an endless amount of information that can be included on a map of a geographic area. Because of the physical dimensions of the map, however, there is a practical limit on the amount of information that can be included in the available space. Consequently, a trade-off must be made between including a small amount of information for each of a variety of different types of users, or a greater amount of information that is specific to one or two types of users.
Electronic maps are available for a variety of computing devices, such as personal computers, tablet computers, personal digital assistants and mobile telephones. Different applications for use on these devices can provide maps that address different interests of a user. For example, a navigational application might typically display a map with a street and highway view of an area. A fast food chain might make available a map that displays the locations of its restaurants or coffee houses in a geographic area. A traffic map can provide a user with dynamic information relating to accidents, road blockages, and similar such situations that are of interest to a traveler.
While the amount of information that can be stored or accessed within an electronic computing device enables a user to obtain different maps, depending on the user's interest at any given time, it is necessary for the user to switch among different applications in order to view various types of information that may be of interest. For instance, while viewing a weather map, if the user realizes that a rainstorm is approaching, it may be necessary to switch to a different map application to locate a restaurant or shopping mall where the user can take refuge while the storm passes. It would be useful to have a map that contains all of the various types of information that is pertinent to different interests, while at the same time managing the display of that information so that the components of the map relevant to the user's interest at any given time are displayed in a meaningful manner.